Scottish Parliament

Written Answers

Friday 4 February 2000

Scottish Executive

Broadcasting

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make representations to Scottish Media Group on their plans to re-organise their television division and the impact this may have on regional broadcasting.

Rhona Brankin: SMG’s television operations are a matter for the company itself, subject to its meeting its licence obligations to the Independent Television Commission.

Education

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will make available the technical specifications of computers which qualify for the computers for teachers scheme.

Mr Sam Galbraith: : The technical specification, which was included in the information packs sent to schools, is as follows:

  Minimum Technical Specification:

  Desktop Computer (PC, iMac or Macintosh equivalent)

  Processor – Pentium II or Pentium III with 400 MHz or G3 processor

  6 gigabytes minimum hard disk drive

  1 CD-ROM drive, 20-speed or faster or 1 DVD ROM drive, 4-speed or faster

  64 megabytes RAM

  4 megabytes video graphics

  SoundBlaster Pro compatible Sound

  56K modem

  External mouse with suitable connection

  101-key UK keyboard with full-size keys

  15" monitor

  Internal speakers or speakers plus stereo audio out-put connection or external stereo speakers with mains power and a physical volume control

  Laptop (Laptop, iBook or other equivalent)

  Processor – minimum Celeron 366 or equivalent

  12" TFT display

  3 gigabytes hard disk drive

  1 CD-ROM drive, 20-speed or faster or 1 DVD ROM drive, 4-speed or faster

  64 megabytes RAM

  2 megabytes video graphics

  SoundBlaster Pro compatible sound

  56K modem

  Internal stereo speakers.

Education

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what policy is in place to ensure that boys receive effective sex education.

Mr Sam Galbraith: The Scottish Executive’s policy is to encourage schools to tackle sex education within a comprehensive programme of health and social education for all pupils.

  This co-ordinated approach is designed to ensure the information about sex education is given, not in isolation, but as part of a programme that considers a number of issues relating to lifestyle choices and healthy living.

Education

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has carried out an evaluation of the Education Maintenance Allowance Programme being piloted by East Ayrshire Council.

Henry McLeish: Education Maintenance Allowances are being piloted in East Ayrshire over three years. The aim of the scheme is to encourage young people from low income families to stay in full-time education at school or FE college in order to achieve qualifications. The effect of EMAs on attendance and achievement rates will be monitored and evaluated during the pilot. A full evaluation will not be possible until the pilot is complete, but it is intended that an interim evaluation will be made at the end of the first year.

Enterprise

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the Local Enterprise Companies which do not provide financial assistance for modern apprentices aged 18 and over.

Henry McLeish: Modern Apprenticeships, which are part of the Skillseekers programme, are primarily targeted at 16 and 17 year olds. Once LECs have provided training places for 16 and 17 year olds they have discretionary power to allocate funding to training for young people aged 18-24. All LECs do currently fund Modern Apprenticeships for 18-24 year olds but this funding is applied in each area according to specific criteria designed to meet the skills needs of the local and national economy and to take account of local labour markets.

  The funding of training for 18-24 year olds is being examined as part of the "Opportunities and Choices" consultation exercise on future developments in post-16 non-advanced education and training.

Health

Mrs Mary Mulligan (Linlithgow) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider making funding available to allow health boards to fund a clinical nurse specialist to support those diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Susan Deacon: Health boards are given an annual general revenue allocation. It is for boards to decide locally how best to deliver healthcare services to meet the healthcare needs of their resident population including services for those diagnosed with motor neurone disease.

Health

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consult the Scottish Ambulance Service, the relevant trade unions and other appropriate medical specialists with a view to extending the categories of health professionals qualified to administer the drug Naloxone/Nacran, the antidote for heroin and methadone, to include ambulance technicians.

Susan Deacon: Medicines Control is a reserved matter dealt with on a UK-wide basis by the Medicines Control Agency.

  The Scottish Executive does not, therefore, intend to consult separately on changes to the Prescription Only Medicines (Human Use) Order 1997. These changes would be necessary to extend the categories of health professionals who can administer injectable prescription only medicines, including Naloxone, on their own initiative.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has for introducing Health Action Zones.

Susan Deacon: The Scottish Executive has no such plans. The broad strategy for improving health in Scotland was set out in the White Paper Towards a Healthier Scotland , the principles of which were endorsed by the Scottish Parliament last September.

Health

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many ambulance paramedics were trained in each of 1996-97, 1997-98 and 1998-99.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is as follows:

  


1996-97 

  

88 

  



1997-98 

  

103 

  



1998-99 

  

80 

  



  In determining its future training requirements the Scottish Ambulance Service continues to have regard to its objective of having a paramedic on every front-line accident and emergency ambulance.

Health

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 16 years old died as a result of (a) road traffic accidents; (b) using Class A drugs and (c) using volatile substances in (i) Fife and (ii) Scotland for each of the last five years.

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people under 18 years old died as a result of (a) road traffic accidents; (b) using Class A drugs and (c) using volatile substances in (i) Fife and (ii) Scotland for each of the last five years.

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many people died as a result of (a) road traffic accidents; (b) using Class A drugs and (c) using volatile substances in (i) Fife and (ii) Scotland for each of the last five years.

Susan Deacon: The information requested is given in the table below.

  


Underlying cause of death 

  

Year 

  

Under 16 years old 

  

Under 18 years old 

  

All ages 

  



Fife 

  

Scotland 

  

Fife 

  

Scotland 

  

Fife 

  

Scotland 

  



Road traffic accidents1




 


1994 

  

1 

  

36 

  

1 

  

51 

  

20 

  

353 

  



 


1995 

  

1 

  

33 

  

3 

  

44 

  

19 

  

420 

  



 


1996 

  

5 

  

27 

  

6 

  

44 

  

28 

  

364 

  



 


1997 

  

1 

  

27 

  

3 

  

45 

  

24 

  

385 

  



 


1998 

  

2 

  

34 

  

2 

  

49 

  

21 

  

385 

  



Use of Class A drugs2




 


1994 

  

0 

  

2 

  

0 

  

2 

  

1 

  

116 

  



 


1995 

  

0 

  

2 

  

0 

  

11 

  

2 

  

128 

  



 


1996 

  

0 

  

0 

  

0 

  

6 

  

0 

  

164 

  



 


1997 

  

0 

  

1 

  

0 

  

6 

  

5 

  

150 

  



 


1998 

  

0 

  

2 

  

0 

  

6 

  

6 

  

179 

  



Use of volatile substances3




 


1994 

  

0 

  

1 

  

0 

  

1 

  

0 

  

3 

  



 


1995 

  

0 

  

2 

  

0 

  

3 

  

0 

  

3 

  



 


1996 

  

0 

  

1 

  

0 

  

1 

  

2 

  

8 

  



 


1997 

  

0 

  

0 

  

0 

  

0 

  

1 

  

1 

  



 


1998 

  

0 

  

0 

  

1 

  

2 

  

1 

  

3 

  



  Source: Death registration data held by the General Register Office for Scotland (GROS).

  Notes:

  1. Road traffic accidents: Deaths classified to ICD9 (International Classification of Diseases, 9th revision) codes E810-E819 and E826-E829. GROS use slightly different definitions to those used for classifying the road accident statistics collected by the police eg the GROS data are classified by place of residence whereas road accident statistics are based on place of occurrence.

  2. Use of Class A drugs: Deaths classified to ICD9 codes 304, E850-E858 and E980 where a Class A drug was known to be involved. Each year GROS publish a short paper on drug-related deaths. The figures in the table are based on the definition of drug-related deaths used in this paper but they are restricted to cases where a Class A drug was known to have been involved.

  3. Use of volatile substances: Deaths classified to ICD9 code 3046. A research team at St.George’s Hospital, London, also collate (GB) information on deaths from volatile substance abuse. Their figures are usually slightly higher than those of GROS because, for example, they may include deaths where volatile substance abuse was mentioned on the death certificate as one of the causes of death although the underlying cause of death was not coded to ICD 3046 by GROS.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to support the continuation of the neurosurgical unit at Ninewells Hospital, Dundee.

Susan Deacon: A short-life Working Group has been created, under the chairmanship of the Chief Medical Officer, to review the provision of neurosurgical services throughout Scotland as a whole. This is part of the implementation of the Acute Services Review which was published in 1998.

  The Group will take account of the work of all four neurosurgical units, aiming to ensure that the services provided are of the highest quality and that neurosurgery centres in Scotland form an effective network.

Health

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the number of (a) registered dentists and (b) registered NHS dentists, by health board area for each of the last ten years.

Susan Deacon: Information on the number of registered dentists and the number of dentists practising outwith the National Health Service in Scotland (NHSiS) is not available centrally. The number of general dental practitioners practising within the NHSiS by health board area over the past nine years is shown in the table below:

  


General Dental Practitioners1, 

  2 Practising within the NHSiS by Health Board Area 

  


 

1991 

  

1992 

  

1993 

  

1994 

  

1995 

  

1996 

  

1997 

  

1998 

  

1999 

  



Scotland 

  

1,656 

  

1,680 

  

1,774 

  

1,770 

  

1,776 

  

1,767 

  

1,802 

  

1,855 

  

1,931 

  



Argyll & Clyde 

  

157 

  

160 

  

165 

  

170 

  

167 

  

166 

  

166 

  

166 

  

153 

  



Ayrshire & Arran 

  

118 

  

120 

  

126 

  

133 

  

126 

  

128 

  

133 

  

138 

  

127 

  



Borders 

  

32 

  

34 

  

40 

  

35 

  

38 

  

35 

  

33 

  

34 

  

35 

  



Dumfries & Galloway 

  

37 

  

36 

  

43 

  

41 

  

44 

  

42 

  

38 

  

37 

  

42 

  



Fife 

  

103 

  

100 

  

117 

  

123 

  

119 

  

119 

  

118 

  

124 

  

113 

  



Forth Valley 

  

80 

  

83 

  

79 

  

77 

  

77 

  

81 

  

82 

  

92 

  

96 

  



Grampian 

  

139 

  

146 

  

160 

  

148 

  

155 

  

151 

  

157 

  

162 

  

169 

  



Greater Glasgow 

  

340 

  

348 

  

358 

  

347 

  

356 

  

341 

  

355 

  

354 

  

413 

  



Highland 

  

63 

  

68 

  

72 

  

77 

  

79 

  

71 

  

81 

  

80 

  

85 

  



Lanarkshire 

  

147 

  

141 

  

147 

  

148 

  

149 

  

161 

  

161 

  

172 

  

170 

  



Lothian 

  

278 

  

282 

  

301 

  

298 

  

301 

  

308 

  

310 

  

322 

  

344 

  



Orkney 

  

3 

  

4 

  

4 

  

10 

  

4 

  

5 

  

4 

  

5 

  

6 

  



Shetland 

  

6 

  

8 

  

8 

  

9 

  

9 

  

8 

  

9 

  

9 

  

9 

  



Tayside 

  

142 

  

140 

  

145 

  

141 

  

141 

  

139 

  

143 

  

148 

  

157 

  



Western Isles 

  

11 

  

10 

  

9 

  

13 

  

11 

  

12 

  

12 

  

12 

  

12 

  



  Notes:

  1. A small proportion of dentists work in more than one health board. In this table each dentist is counted only once

  2. Excludes trainees and assistants.

Highlands and Islands

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has conducted any form of consultation process on the reconvening of the Highlands and Islands Convention and upon the composition of its membership; if so to provide details and, if not, whether it will now conduct a consultation process with the public and relevant bodies.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: In reaching our decision we have taken into account the views of Convention members. We expect our proposals to be widely welcomed.

Highlands and Islands

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, if the Highlands and Islands Convention is to be reconvened without including any MSPs, MPs or MEPs representing the Highlands and Islands, it will explain in detail the reasons why.

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is in favour of elected representatives of the Highlands and Islands working together on any reconvened Highlands and Islands Convention and, if not, why not.

Mr Alasdair Morrison: I refer the Member to the First Minister’s answer to S1F-79 of Thursday 3 February.

Holyrood

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve public transport to Holyrood.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Office, the City of Edinburgh Council and Lothian and Edinburgh Enterprise Ltd jointly commissioned a study into strategic access options to the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, which reported in February 1999. Following publication of Oscar Faber's report, the Scottish Office (latterly Scottish Executive)/CEC/LEEL partnership has continued to meet on a regular basis to consider how best Faber's recommendations may be taken forward; albeit that implementation will rest primarily with CEC and transport operators.

Homelessness

Patricia Ferguson (Glasgow Maryhill) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what primary health care services are available in Glasgow to homeless people who are not registered with a GP.

Susan Deacon: Our primary care system is based on the model of a "registered patient list", where a named doctor serves a list of patients identified by their place of residence. However, everyone has a right to be on a doctor’s list and Primary Care NHS Trusts have a responsibility to ensure that all patients are assigned to a suitable practitioner if they have been unable to secure services themselves.

  Greater Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust have a number of specific initiatives in place which are designed to improve access to primary health care services for the homeless. They include:

  The Medical and Nursing Health Service City Mission which provides a range of general medical interventions and treatment to homeless adults (including the elderly) who have difficulty in obtaining treatment in the General Medical Service.

  The Homeless Families Health Care Service which tracks homeless families through their period of homelessness. A key element of the service is the establishment of a link between previous and new primary care services for those who move area due to homelessness and become lost to existing mainstream services.

  The Mental Health Hostel Service which is designed to prevent patients falling through the net of community mental health services and provides a comprehensive specialist Mental Health Service to the homeless.

  The Community Dental Service to the City Mission which provides a full range of treatment to homeless adults (including the elderly) who have difficulty in obtaining treatment in the General Dental Service.

  The Podiatry Service City Mission which provides assessment, diagnosis and treatment of lower limb pathologies enabling clients to attain optimum mobility. Access to the community chiropody services for the homeless is through direct attendance at one of the service delivery sites.

  A Nutrition and Dietetic Service which plans a programme on food safety/hygiene, budgeting, and information on nutrition and healthy eating for young single homeless and for homeless families.

  A Physiotherapy Service relieves acute conditions and provides advice on chronic conditions leading to improved quality of life and improved general health for homeless people.

  Further details of these services are available from Greater Glasgow Primary Care Trust.

Justice

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps have been taken to increase the use of modern technology in the Scottish Courts Service.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Court Service has a key strategic aim of using modern technology to improve the service it delivers and assist the work of the courts. In the last year it has completed the installation of a computer network linking all the Sheriff and Supreme Courts in Scotland and is developing computer based systems to assist in tracking cases before the courts. A website has been introduced which provides information on the Scottish Courts and includes a searchable database of recent judgements. The opportunity to incorporate modern technology is also routinely considered in planning the major refurbishment of court buildings.

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it accepts the figures on local authority revenue spending shortfalls for 2000-01 detailed by CoSLA in convention item 4 approved on 10 December 1999 and, if not, why not.

Mr Jack McConnell: The finance consultation document Spending Plans for Scotland invited views on our spending proposals for the next two years. Inevitably the spending plans for local government have to strike a balance between affordability and the requirements of other services for which the Scottish Executive is responsible. However, overall our spending plans provide for the most generous local government settlement for seven years, with spending set to rise by 4.8% this year, 3.7% in 2000-01 and 3.6% in 2001-02, higher than the forecast rate of inflation.

Local Government Finance

Mr Kenneth Gibson (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the local authority funding shortfalls identified by CoSLA "will all require to be absorbed by councils either by further reductions in services, staffing levels or, alternatively, increases in council tax", as stated by CoSLA in convention item 4 on 10 December 1999, and, if not, why not.

Mr Jack McConnell: Local government spending is set to rise to £6,746 million, an increase of 3.7% over the comparable figure this year and higher than the forecast increase in the RPI. It is a matter for the local authorities themselves to determine their expenditure priorities and set their budgets and council tax levels accordingly.

Local Government Finance

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will obtain from local authorities a detailed breakdown of the cost of recovery of council tax and poll tax arrears through the summary debt collection procedure for the last three financial years.

Mr Jack McConnell: Scottish Executive officials undertook to examine this matter for the Justice and Home Affairs Committee. I have today laid in the SPICe a copy of the letter to the clerk.

Parliamentary Questions

Richard Lochhead (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will outline the process, detailing each stage, that written parliamentary questions go through after it receives them and whether it will publish any guidance notes issued to civil servants in relation to the drafting of answers to written and oral parliamentary questions.

Mr Tom McCabe: The basic process which is followed is set out below:

  Question and template for answer received by Parliamentary Clerk, Scottish Executive from the Chamber Office. Parliamentary Clerk allocates to appropriate Executive Department and issues question and template for answer in electronic form to Departmental Secretariat.

  Departmental Secretariat issues question and template to appropriate official to prepare draft answer.

  Appropriate official drafts answer. Depending on the question, this is likely to involve liaison with colleagues in other parts of the Executive, Whitehall departments or other bodies.

  Draft answer cleared by senior official in Department and returned to Departmental Secretariat.

  Draft answer considered by appropriate Minister(s) and any changes discussed with the Department.

  Answer lodged with Member and Chamber Office by Parliamentary Clerk.

  Guidance was issued in May 1999 setting out the above process. Some existing Scottish Office guidance remains of relevance, e.g. on the interaction of PQs with data protection requirements. Arrangements for liaison with the UK Government on PQs are contained in the Memorandum of Understanding and Concordats. The Civil Service Management Code and the Scottish Ministerial Code also inform the role of civil servants in preparing answers to Parliamentary Questions. These various sources of guidance are being drawn together to create comprehensive guidance for staff on PQs, which will issue shortly. This guidance will also provide advice on dealing with common forms of questions. I will place a copy of this guidance in the Parliament’s Reference Centre once it is complete.

Public Sector

Bristow Muldoon (Livingston) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it is considering instructing or encouraging all public sector organisations to source suppliers from "Constructionline" registered companies.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive actively encourages purchasers in its departments and executive agencies, and in non-departmental public bodies and National Health Service organisations in Scotland, to use the database of Constructionline registered companies when sourcing contractors and suppliers of professional services.

  The Scottish Executive Building Division acts as the focal point for these organisations in accessing the database on their behalf. As a result it is the largest user of Constructionline in the UK. The Scottish Executive is also taking steps to encourage and promote the use of Constructionline across the wider public sector in Scotland.

Rural Affairs

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures it intends to undertake to restore stability in the market for milk and whether it intends to make representations to Her Majesty's Government to put in place measures which will protect farmers against the development of any buyer’s monopoly in the milk market.

Ross Finnie: The Scottish Executive has sympathy for dairy farmers who are in financial difficulty through having to adjust to lower raw milk prices. However, in what is now an unregulated market, the Executive’s ability to influence the position is limited.

  Competition policy is a reserved matter and the Monopolies and Mergers’ Commission produced a detailed report in February 1999 on the supply of raw cows’ milk in Great Britain. Any evidence of anti-competitive behaviour should be passed direct to the Office of Fair Trading.

Rural Affairs

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the mechanism will be for payment of "agrimoney" to milk producers and how much will be paid out.

Ross Finnie: The precise amounts of agrimonetary compensation available to UK milk producers as well as other agricultural sectors have yet to be determined. These will not be known until the European Commission publishes a Regulation later in February. Payments must be made on a UK-wide basis. Scotland cannot go it alone on this matter and I am therefore liasing closely with the other UK Agricultural Ministers.

Rural Affairs

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it last made representations to the Chancellor of the Exchequer to secure "agrimoney" for milk producers and whether it will place details of these representations in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre.

Ross Finnie: I am currently giving careful consideration to the merits of paying further agrimonetary aid. Since Scotland cannot go it alone on this matter I am involved in on-going discussions with the other UK Agricultural Ministers.

Technology

Mr Duncan McNeil (Greenock and Inverclyde) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what it believes the impact of increasing the use of modern technology, such as video, audio tape or digital media, in recording proceedings in Scottish Courts would be on the accuracy of the reports.

Mr Jim Wallace: A programme to introduce audio tapes for recording proceedings in the Supreme and the Sheriff Courts was completed in 1997. A comprehensive review of these arrangements was completed in July 1999 which made a number of recommendations to improve overall performance, all of which have been implemented. In addition, digital recorders were issued in February 1999 to all Judges in the High Court as back-up for recording their charges to the jury.

  No complaints have been received from either the judiciary or other court users on the accuracy of transcriptions over the past year and there are no plans to change the current arrangements. Nevertheless, the Scottish Court Service continues to monitor the development of technology in this area.

  Video is not routinely used for recording proceedings in the courts.

Transport

Mr Murray Tosh (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it still intends to construct a pedestrian footbridge across the A77 at Hansel Village, Symington.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has included the scheme to provide a pedestrian footbridge across the A77 at Hansel Village, Symington within the trunk road programme for the next two years. Construction will be subject to the availability of funding and other competing trunk road priorities.

Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what role it can play to encourage energy companies to install liquid petroleum gas supply points throughout the Highlands and Islands.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive funds the Energy Savings Trust in Scotland to promote the use of liquid petroleum gas (LPG) vehicles including supply points, primarily through the Trust’s UK Powershift programme. In December 1999 I launched Shell’s MotorGas fuel network which will further encourage an expanded LPG supply network in Scotland.

Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it proposes to work with the automobile industry to encourage the production and sale of cars and small commercial vehicles using liquid petroleum gas.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive funds the Energy Savings Trust in Scotland to promote inter alia the UK Powershift programme which seeks to stimulate the market for clean fuel vehicles. Powershift is a government-backed initiative, in partnership with the supply and demand sides of the market aimed at creating a sustainable market for clean fuel vehicles.

Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what role the use of vehicles using liquid petroleum gas can play in reducing the high cost of transport for businesses in the Highlands and Islands and what action it proposes to take to encourage its use.

Sarah Boyack: Liquid petroleum gas can reduce vehicle running and maintenance costs. The Scottish Executive grant aids the Energy Savings Trust in Scotland to inter alia promote the UK Powershift programme which can fund from 25% to 75% of the additional cost of buying a clean fuel vehicle. The Scottish Executive is encouraging the Trust to use its funding to support projects in the Highlands and Islands.

Transport

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what role the use of vehicles using liquid petroleum gas can play in reducing the environmental damage caused by vehicles.

Sarah Boyack: Vehicles using liquid petroleum gas play a number of important roles in respect of the environment. They help reduce emissions of air pollutants that impact on local air quality, as well as reducing emissions of carbon dioxide. Compared to diesel vehicles used in heavy-duty applications, LPG vehicles emit considerably lower levels of nitrogen oxides and particles, which are harmful to health. LPG vehicles are also substantially quieter at low speeds than the diesel equivalents.

Voluntary Sector

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-2484 by Jackie Ballie on 3 December 1999, whether that answer is an endorsement of the statement made by the Minister of State at the Scotland Office ( House of Commons Official Report 9 November 1999, col-868) that "there is no particular shortage of money for voluntary and community organisations".

Jackie Baillie: The Scottish Executive is committed to developing a strategic approach to the funding of the voluntary sector. Last year our funding of the voluntary sector amounted to some £283 million, of which £23 million was in direct grants and £260 million was indirect funding through agencies and non-departmental public bodies. We shall keep under review the support we make available to the voluntary sector.